Regional differences in bladder enlargement and in vitro contractility after outlet obstruction in the rabbit

Bladder outlet obstruction leads to bladder enlargement and subsequent decreases in contractile function in vivo and in vitro. We determined whether there were regional differences in bladder wall properties and in vitro contractile responses after 2 weeks of bladder outlet obstruction.

Male rabbits underwent cystometry. The bladder was then filled to 40 ml. and the surface was marked with 2-zero silk knots placed approximately 1 cm. apart. The distance between the knots was measured at 20, 40 and 80 ml. The animals then underwent the creation of surgical obstruction. After 2 weeks the obstruction was removed. Cystometry and measurements were repeated and strips were obtained from defined dorsal and ventral areas. Contractile responses to electrical field stimulation, adenosine triphosphate, carbachol and KCl were determined and compared with strips from unobstructed controls.

In vivo expansion during bladder filling occurred evenly throughout the bladder wall in controls and the contractile response to all stimuli was similar in ventral and dorsal strips. After 2 weeks of bladder outlet obstruction the upper dome expanded to a significantly higher degree than the lower bladder body. The response to all stimuli was significantly reduced after bladder outlet obstruction and there was a significantly decreased response to all stimuli in dorsal compared with ventral strips. Strips from the dorsal midline showed a relaxation response to electrical field stimulation at low frequencies, whereas all ventral strips contracted.

Functional remodeling after bladder outlet obstruction is a process that does not occur to the same extent throughout the bladder. The obstructed bladder is an inhomogeneous organ with significant regional differences in mechanical and pharmacological properties.